Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-04-14
A GENIUS.
How a COMMON Parrot REESE In the Scale Of In
telleetaality.

TullbUtipnld q Adhiig bnihiOo 'p
who kept a hotel On Chestnut street
tsam MiIler's). One day hebought an
Australian parrot. He was probabl!
three ears old. Sometime in the be-
ginning of the forties Polly came into
the hands of a Wentz family, at Lam
caster, Penn, who had him for per-
haps ten or fifteen years, when he was
sold to a Mr.. Cornell, in Leacock
township. Lancaster county. Here
he had the misfortune to break his leg,
which disabled him so that he could
not feed himself properly. He came
very near being sacrificed to relieve
him of his misery, when a Mr.. Crick
successfully splinted and bandaged
the broken limb, and in a short time
healed the fracture.
From this time forth tie history OF
Polly's precocity begins. 1t was never
known before what twas in" the bird.
Polly was given a wide range IN the
little farm, where he mingled with
geese, ducks, chickens and pigs, and
by degrees became a mimic unparal-
leled by anything recorded in history.
When he cackled any one not aware
OF his presence naturally concluded
that a hen was just glorying over her
'last lay" When he crowed all the
barnyard strutters Joined in chorus
to out crow him. When he initiated
quick peep as if in pain, clucking
mothers would run in the direction
whence the sound came, to the rescue
of the supposed victim, only to be
confronted by the mischievous, hook
billed counterfeit.
His braying OF a mule vas perfect in
meditation, but somewhat lacking in
volume, and for that reason was one
of his very best efforts. No woman
ever laughed more heartily than Polly
could laugh; in fact, so natural was
this imitation that on more than one
occasion persons would stop to listen
to the fun among the women folks of
the house, to be told on inquiring as
to what was going on that it "a "on
ly Polly having a laugh to himself"
The most natural ofall his limitations,
however, was the crying of a baby. 1t
was enough to touch the heart OF any
tender parent passing the house when
Polly had this theme in hand. Such
sobhing, such holding of breath, and
then bursting out afresh in a per-
feet scream as OF pain, made
everybody within hearing and
not knowing the source feel like
suggesting Winslow soothing syrup or
~paregoric, and that without delay.
One other extraordinary effort of
Polly was the squealing OF a dyingpi g
Mr.. Crick killed many hogs for the
market and this gave the bird an ex-
cellent opportunity to acquire this
ear-pIercing refrain. His imitation OF
the whining of a puppy and b~arkingot
q dog were perfect in tho full sense OF
the term. In short, there Was nothing
that it undertook to initiate which
IA not done to perfection, except the
braying of the mule.
Polly vas happy in his home, but he
finally became too sociable for Mr..
Crick's use, and this was the cause of
his sale. His obtrusive sociabllity
consisted in eating from the baby's
hand. One day the baby was eating
candy. Polly wanted some OF that
candy, so he just walked up and
took the candy and part of the
thumb from baby's hand. When baby
cried he broke out in a fit of laughing,
which novel concert brought the fami-
ly to the scene, and from that mo-
ment it was resolved, finally and ir-
~revocably, that "Polly must CO." He
was at once deprived of his liberty by
being put into his cage and transport
ed to Lancaster, five miles distant, to
be sold. He was kept in a basement
restaurant. where | for the first time
saw him, loved him and bought him.
A large volume might be written OF
my more than twenty years expert
ence with this wonderful creature; of
the excursions we made together
through the surrounding country; OF
our trips to various large cities in
Pennsylvania; of his tricks in gym
nastics, of his accompaniment when |
whIstled Sweet Home" of his gather
ing up from the floor a number of
coins, carefully bringing them to me
in a perfect roll and placing them in
my hand; and of his ringing a bell,
carrying a little bucket ofwater, bring
ing my hat, my handkerchief or my
purse when told to do so, and ofanum-
Der OF other equally wonderful feats
indicating extraordinary sagacity, if
not reasoning powers. But / will con-
tent myself with giving me remark
able episode in his career which |
think most astonishing of all, and one
in which /, for me-, found great diff
Guilty in fixing the line where animal
instinct ceases and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
begin"
In 1876 / left for Europe. 1t oc-
Cured to me that the safest place for
Polly would be the geological gardens
at Philadelphia, and there, according
ly, l left him. After three years and
three month"; absence, | called at the
zoe. On entering the bird house |
took a station on the opposite side of
the building from that occupied by Pol
ly, where the bird could not see me and
then exclaimed: where's my Polly?"
Immediately the bird recognized the
voice Of his former master, became ex-
cited, walking back and forth on his
perch, showing as best he could, by
voice and gesture, that he wished to
answer the question by saying Here
am l."
1t was a clear case of instant recog-
milton. Then went to my pet. The
affectionate creature ran his bill
through my mustache in the attempt
to kiss me, rubbing his head against
my cheek, then kissed me again and
nestled close to me, as though he feared
he might lose me again. Then |
tested him in some OF his old tricks to
prove his memory, and they were per-
formed with as much readiness as ever.
polly, l have lost my pocketbook,"
said after having dropped it.
Then Polly went in search of it, and
soon brought it in his bill, and having
deposited It in my hand expressed his
Joy in q hearty laugh. On my taking
leave OF him he was almost frantic
with grief, and it vas only with diff
Guilty that his keeper prevented him
from following the master he so affec-
~tionately loved.
If | loved the bird before, that feel
ing was intensified from that moment,
and money could no more have tempt
ed me to part with him than it could
to part with one of my children.
In 1881 Polly was brought from
Lancaster, Penn, to this city, whereI
had located a year before, ard soon
attracted unusual attention, as he
had at the North, exciting the wonder
and admiration of all who saw him.
1t was evident, however, by no.
ticeable failing of eye-sight and
stiffness in his joints, that age was
telling on Polly, and this caused me to
watch him with as much solicitude as
a tenderfather watches his child. My
greatest fear was that the growing
years might lead to decrepitude and
heiplessness, with all the attendant
evils OF extreme age. Often in my con.
templatiye moments did l picture to
p1x-co1f The GnoI .o~oroN5.~ NIL